Lo Again, Naturally When Jarvis Is Down, Hampton Helps Pick Him Up.

MIAMI -- After just one college game, Jarvis Williams was sure. He didn`t have to ask anyone.

``There wasn`t a doubt in my mind about giving up football,`` said the Dolphins` rookie free safety.

Williams was in the hospital. It was his freshman year at the University of Florida, and he had just injured his knee in his first game.

``I had gotten hurt, which is something that never happened to me before, and I just figured that football wasn`t a game for me,`` Williams, a second- round draft pick, said. ``It was too risky; there were too many chances.``

To stop making stops. To hit or to quit. There was nothing to debate. A man who had done nothing but knock down everything he came across his entire football life was on his back. The first low of his football career.

Enter the second Lo.

Lorenzo Hampton, a senior at Florida that year, had gone through an injury-hampered freshman season and was there when Williams was hurt.

``I heard he was thinking about quitting, and I knew what kind of talent he had,`` Hampton said. ``I basically told him to hang in there. The same thing happened to me, and somehow I came through it.

``I told him, `Don`t go away with a question of ``Could I have played?`` Find out for yourself.```

Once again, without asking anyone, Williams was sure. To quit or to hit. There was nothing to debate.

``He made me think I could get through it. He knew I was a freshman and had a lot of time,`` Williams said. ``He made me feel a lot better about football.``

Williams is making his coaches feel better about football lately.

``We gave him the opportunity to start, and he`s handled it well,`` coach Don Shula said. ``He`s made a few errors, but that`s to be expected. He`s also made some big hits for us.``

Williams, who defensive backs coach Mel Phillips said ``has a mean streak,`` has started all three games and is second on the team in solo tackles with 16. Linebacker John Offerdahl has 19.

``I`m feeling very comfortable right now,`` said Williams, who has one of the defense`s three fumble recoveries.

He doesn`t have any interceptions -- Miami has only one -- but Shula is ``confident that he`ll come up with some. He`s got that knack for being around the ball.``

``He`s showing a lot of range back there,`` cornerback William Judson said. ``The only thing is he needs to talk a little more, and that will come more as he learns the system.

``Sometimes he`s a little hesitant on the audibles, but that`s to be expected with a rookie playing safety. That`s one of the most complicated positions.``